I found Tiffany Jenkins on social media during COVID like so many others. Her IG feed was funny, and her ads for Grove Collaborative with her friend Meredith were relatable. She was a hot-mess mom. Her hair was a mess, she wore no makeup, and she was so real at a time when we needed to see that most. I saw myself in her so much more than all the fake influencers with their perfect makeup and filters. I’ve had her High Achiever book on my TBR for a while, but I was very excited to see her new book and couldn’t wait to read it.

Tiffany is a fantastic story teller. She does a great job portraying the emotional rollercoaster from early sobriety to suburban motherhood and marriage; through her struggles with anxiety and post partum depression; and through her divorce. She is so transparent and authentic in her telling. Her signature humor also shines through, despite the often somber subjects and I couldn’t put her book down. I think the only way it could’ve been better would’ve been listening to an audio version she recorded to really get the intended intonation throughout (which I saw on IG she was recording just a couple weeks ago!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Rodale for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This memoir from the heart reads like a novel that is hard to put down. Though author Tiffany Jenkins is a comedian, there is little to laugh at as she provides the stark realities of addiction recovery which in her case included jail, time in a half way home, and a lifetime of meetings to keep her recovery on track.

It's remarkable that she falls in love early in her life in recovery and that she's brave enough (or is it crazy enough?) to marry her man when she discovers she's pregnant. Tiffany's life is not only complicated by addiction and unplanned childbirth; she also takes us through the devastation of postpartum depression and psychotic visions of terror for herself and her children.

Ultimately, however, this is a story of resilience and hope. With the help of therapists, friends, and a loving father, Tiffany finds her balance, her voice and her place in a world that wasn't always welcoming to her. This book should provide hope and uplift to all who read it.

Wow! Loved hearing more about Tiffany’s story. I devoured her first book, so when I saw she came out with another one I knew I had to get it. Tiffany gets so real and raw about her life. I thank her for being so honest with her struggles with addiction. With having a family member that struggled with addiction it gave me some insight on what possibly they could have been feeling. I’m happy to read that she is doing so well in life.

Good read. I happened across Tiffany on social media and found her funny and very relatable. Then she disappeared. Glad to see she is doing good and putting herself first.
This book was a good insight to what addicts in recovery go through. I’ve not experienced that, but the horrible anxiety she works through is 100% relatable and what I go through.
Highly recommend this read.

Wow! What a compelling read! This book had me hooked with the first page. A continuation of where life took Tiffany Jenkins after High Achiever that dives into the ongoing REAL struggles of recovery and many stages of mental health. I aplaud Tiffany for being vulnerble and laying it all out there. This book elicited a plethora of emotions, humor, sadness, hope, pain, and unconditional love. A true testament to a women who through it all never gave up on herself.

This book is fantastic. I think the only thing that could’ve possibly made it any better would be listening to Tiffany herself read the book.

You may have seen her on Facebook as “Juggling the Jenkins” but she is so much more.

This book picks up right where “High Achiever” left off. We see her life in the halfway house, to her life with Colin, the birth of her children, up to present day.

She is such a resilient person! I commend her for being vulnerable and telling her story of life and sobriety.

Thank you Rodale Inc and NetGalley for the arc of this amazing book. All opinions are my own.

4.0 stars
DEFINITE recommend

I wanted and expected the world from this book. I had heard that Tiffany's first book was fantastic and a bestseller, plus she is a stand-up comedian. So I expected a funny and real story from where her first book left off. Unfortunately, I liked, but didn't love this book.

Now, what others may think is completely different, of course. But, as someone who suffers from mental illness (I do too) and also an addict, I needed more on that correlation, how she handles it, and what she advises to avoid this combination creating a relapse.

Tiffany received many second and third chances while in sober-living. I am not certain whether that helped or hurt her recovery.

This book was not humorous or even funny to me. It was painful, difficult, and hard to read. Tiffany has a big social media following. But, it I just didn't get that from this book. I wish her all the best!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7523522774 - posted 4/28/2025
The StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/fbccc336-a1c4-4158-bab0-7d928b9eb485?redirect=true - posted 4/28/2025
booksbydorothea Blog: https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-clean-mess-tiffany-jenkins-earcebook.html - posted 4/28/2025

Tiffany Jenkins falls into addiction on the cusp of adulthood. An honor student and captain of her cheerleading squad, the Florida native was on her way to college and a life materially better than that of her blue-collar parents. But that all changed when she switched from alcohol to hard drugs. A Clean Mess tracks her journey from halfway house, to shotgun wedding, to struggling to survive--becoming a social media star in the process--to divorced mother of two. And yes, she's still clean.

We meet Tiffany when her father, a recovering alcoholic stricken with cancer, takes her to a faith-based halfway house after she's released from jail. The woman who runs the faith-based center and the young women, each with her own harrowing back story, are unforgettable. Movies like Girl, Interrupted, and the reality show lives of families pictured on TV--and in politics--over the past 20-plus years come to mind. It's a world of traumatized children damaged by instability and lifelong stress.

She meets "Colin" at a graduation ceremony for people in recovery and is immediately hooked. They're both newly clean and not supposed to date, but they're addicts and its "on." Tiffany is soon pregnant. They leave their respective halfway houses, get hitched, and move into a slumlord's apartment building. Two children are born in the space of a three years. There are supportive recovery friends who help them find work, and they've soon built a stable life. But they haven't healed or grown up, and the only markers of a successful marriage in their world--our world--are a home, car, and class-appropriate activities for their kids. The affects of gaslighting, betrayal, and the exhaustion felt by women shouldering it all, make up much of the memoir.

It's a powder-keg in the making, and after a decade, Colin blows it all up with a Vegas drug binge. This is where the reader comes in. Fortunately, Tiffany is now a successful social media star who blogs about sobriety and family, so the loss of her one-sided marriage is not financially devastating. But despite her success (she has a fabulous, formidable spirit), she still struggles with crushing anxiety and low self-esteem. A Clean Mess is a right-on title, and this reader hopes she can continue to address the trauma that haunts her so her children have a fighting chance. I suspect she'll keep juggling the chaos around her but Tiffany Jenkins, like so many Americans, deserves so much more.

Thanks so much to Net Galley for the opportunity to review A Clean Mess. It's a memoir that strikes a definite nerve, especially in these times. I'm rooting for her and all the families struggling to survive the aftermath of 40 years of lost hopes, incomes, and dreams.

There are good moments in this book, but the writing style isn't my cup of tea. I think a good editor could help.

A Clean Mess, written by Tiffany Jenkins, is a non-fictional book of sobriety and recovery. This is this authors second book, and she also has an online presence with her page Juggling the Jenkins, that I have greatly enjoyed. This book tells the story of the authors journey with recovery, both hers and that of some of her loved ones, and also the forming of her family. It also delves into mental health, anxiety, and postpartum depression, and I can see it being a helpful resource for individuals experiencing these issues.
I loved this authors work, and greatly appreciated how relatable it was written. I appreciated how the book takes place at a few different times in the authors life, and also found comfort in the way she spoke of her relationship with her dad and family. I definitely recommend this book to fans of this authors videos or previous book, or anyone looking for a good memoir on recovery.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the author and publisher of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I first found Tiffany on IG and thought she was hilarious! I couldn't wait to read her first book, I had no idea what she had been through. This one was enlightening as well. She has overcome so much and for someone that doesn't know her, I can still say I'm proud of her and what she's accomplished on her sober journey through life!! Keep at it Tiffany!!

This memoir was very interesting and I appreciated how open and honest she was about her struggles. I did like the structure of starting in the present and then ending on a cliffhanger when it switched back to the past. I wish there had been a bit more about the therapy and things she used to overcome PPD that part seemed rushed that she suddenly was fixed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book for anyone who has been following her years or if they are/have been dealing with addictions. I had a hard time putting this down!

I have been watching her videos on Facebook for a long time and she has always made references to her past life. Then I noticed recently that she has had some major life changes and I was worried about what had happened. This books goes into great detail about her past and then runs over her most recent changes. I found that interesting how the addictions, marriage and children’s births were told in details, but the end was pretty brief. It felt like that was skimmed over. The book was still very good, but the ending was very quick. It just made it feel odd.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have actually not heard about Tiffany Jenkins before having been offered this book, and I haven't read her previous memoir. As far as I understand, it picks up when the previous book left off, with the author newly sober, moving into a halfway house and meeting her husband-to-be. The story covers up these early months of sobriety, and then marriage and motherhood. To complicate things (as if trying to stay sober and becoming involved with another newly sober person wasn't tough enough!), early motherhood proves especially difficult, as Jenkings suffers from postpartum depression.

The book is honest and vulnerable, sometimes even difficult to read. Jenkings does not sugarcoat her experiences. It is partly a cautionary tale, partly - potentially - an inspiration.

First note: in what is an absolute rarity I started and finished the book in a single day.
There will be zero spoilers provided and a brief review~synopses would be so rife
with spoiler. material you would not need to read this good.
I was unfamiliar with the Author and had not read any of her previous work. So, I
think this is perfect as a stand-alone since the Author provided necessary
information & background for each character.
The story is primarily about addiction and recovery, but mostly about the
challenging changes that the recovering addicts face off against and
aim to conquer on their trek to longtime~forever, sobriety and clarity.
I found the ending satisfying, but would not have changed the original
Literary Sin, without it I cannot say whether they’d have been successful
and recovering successfully.
I must thank the rep with PRH for contacting me and providing the
widget for this book, which came via NG and was used to read and
provide reviews. At the end of the day I can say this is a well written
story that will have a huge audience.

Summary:
In her previous book, High Achiever, Tiffany shares her addiction story. In this follow-up, she takes you through her recovery and into her marriage. As she lives life's ups and downs while not relying on her addiction for help, some things were unsalvable. Within these pages, Tiffany shares her marriage to a fellow addict and how it all came tumbling down.

You, like myself, probably know Tiffany Jenkins from her funny videos. I related to many of them far more than I'd like to admit- as did countless others. I read her first book and learned how her addiction came to be and how it, eventually, spiraled out of control costing her everything. Due to the number of years (and books read since), I don't remember if she opens up about her marriage in High Achiever. If she did, I know it wasn't in the detail A Clean Mess goes into.

Tiffany walks you through her meeting her now ex-husband at a sober anniversary ceremony. It was instant attraction for her. The draw to him was undeniable. Once she knew those feelings were returned, they were a force unable to stop. Their relationship moved at lightening speed- with the aid of an unplanned & unexpected pregnancy. Lies were told to cover up their actions so they wouldn't be thrown out of their sober living facilities. Secrets were kept from the very people wanting to help Tiffany. But she had her man and that was all she needed.

Things were rough for awhile, but they were able to carve out a little life for themselves and their daughter. Life being what it is, threw them another cure ball by adding his daughter from a previous relationship into the mix. They made a family and bonded. Life was going well. Stress was survived. Ups and downs were lived through. Sobriety was continuous- until it wasn't.

One weekend turned Tiffany's life upside down. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying a bachelor weekend her husband went on- with fellow addicts- cost him his wife, life and hard earned 14 years of sobriety. Lies told her husband and uncovered by Tiffany's sleuthing were the fallout that couldn't be recovered from. Now, as she's navigating a successful career and comedy tour, she's also navigating divorce and single parenting.

As the book bounces back and forth between their romance unfolding and the wake of the fall out from divorce, Tiffany shares her feelings. How did she handle what she never wanted to? How did she learn to make a new life for herself that looked nothing like the one she had? Was this just the inevitable? As she wades through the wreckage, she finds herself. And she takes you along with her. She'll even tell you what it was like to learn that he had moved on before she did.

Overall, while it wasn't as engrossing for me as High Achiever, I'm glad I read this book. I've been cheering her on on social media and now know more of what was going on. I've been loving seeing her on the other side, and now I know what she went through to get to that other side. Fans of her work will connect to her newest book and love seeing our high achiever become a overcomer.

I enjoyed Tiffany Jenkins’s previous memoir, _High Achiever_, and thus was happy to be able to read this one, the continuation of her story. She is an entertaining writer, and her story kept me interested throughout. She gives the right level of explanation of not only the events of her life, but her thoughts and feelings as things are happening, to make for a satisfying memoir as she discusses staying clean and moving into the roles of wife and mother, sometimes in unexpected ways. My only disappointment with this book was that I felt that it ended at a strange point, just after a pretty dramatic shift. It seems potentially designed to set her up to write a third memoir, which I’m sure she probably could and at some point she might, but I’d have preferred to have at least a little more of the story contained in this book.

I was captivated from the first page. Tiffany shares her story with unflinching honesty in a smooth, accessible writing style that flows effortlessly, with humor peppered throughout even the darkest moments. This approach offers profound insights into addiction and the formidable challenges of recovery.

The memoir brilliantly highlights how shame and guilt can overwhelm those in recovery, and how vital supportive communities are during this journey. Tiffany's relationship with her father, Colin, her friends and all the people she met during her recovery—who believed in her when she couldn't believe in herself—beautifully illustrates the importance of unwavering support.

This relatable account resonates deeply. Tiffany's courage in sharing her story and her resilience to keep fighting will undoubtedly help countless people. Thank you for sharing this with the world.

This memoir takes you on an intense emotional journey from the very start. It pulls you in and offers a raw, honest look at the tough battle of overcoming addiction.
I felt as though I was right there with Tiffany, walking alongside her as she confronted the demons of addiction and navigated the daily challenges of recovery.
Although I haven’t experienced addiction myself, I’ve seen a loved one go through it, and I’m incredibly proud of Tiffany’s resilience and determination to fight for her sobriety.

As I freely admitted when I read and reviewed Laura Delano’s Unshrunk, “…I have had my share of interactions with mental health care, and that I honestly feel I’m here thanks in part to the wonders of pharmacology and skilled therapy…I also admit that I have close friends and family members who have a totally different view of the whole topic (in fact, one person who used to be (but sadly is no longer) close to me went through what I would call serious traumatic events including suicidal efforts, hospitalization, and major efforts at medical interventions, only to finally throw up her hands and say “f%^k it, I QUIT!” and stop her meds cold turkey. So I have done a fair amount of thinking and wondering what is the best way to deal with a mental health issue…only to finally land on accepting that it’s a totally individual thing and there isn’t one right solution for everyone (ok, go ahead and say it: “DUH!”)”

Because I am curious enough to continue to read and view personal tales of experiences dealing with mental health, I was happy to have the opportunity to read Unshrunk this spring, and I am fortunate once again, as I received a copy of Tiffany Jenkins’s A Clean Mess (thanks to Rodale/Harmony and NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Ms. Jenkins proved what an excellent storyteller and brave woman she is with 2019’s High Achiever (perfectly subtitled “The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life,” so I had high hopes for her latest.

Once again, there is a subtitle: “ A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb,” which made me love it going in. With the exception of one seemingly cranky teacher who gave it a strangely low three stars, all the reviews I have seen have praised it for its honesty, vulnerability, humor, and the way it made the readers FEEL. I agree with all of this!

To quote my review of Unshrunk again, “To the extent that everyone has a story to tell, I applaud anyone who can be vulnerable enough to share their story with others.” And wow does Mss. Jenkins have a story to tell, and the skill to do it in a helpful, unflinching, informative, and entertaining way. Bottom line: this one is a solid 5-stars from me .